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It’s not too often that we see a bevy of well-known head coaches potentially changing franchises. Neither is it normal to see an abundance of talented coordinators due to head coaching opportunities. There are big names on the hot seat that are sure to be immediately hired by another organization once they depart. Who are the most coveted coaches, and who has the hottest seats? Before we take a look, it’s important to remember the rules and restrictions in place during the interview process.  

NFL owners approved a proposal prohibiting teams from conducting in-person interviews until after the Divisional Playoff round. It’s been pushed back from last year when it was prohibited until after the Wild Card round. The hiring process progresses quickly, but this new proposal aims to prolong it and broaden the team’s search for diversity. We will see coaches remain in their roles, fired, step away from expired contracts, mutually part ways, retire and even traded. Trading coaches has always been prevalent in the NFL and tends to be ground-breaking. 

Potential Departures

Bill Belichick

The six-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick has been a head coach for 30 years straight and is the greatest coach of all time. At this point in the season, it’s almost impossible to predict what exactly will happen with the long-time Patriot's head coach. Right now the Belichick era seems to be over in New England. Although the legendary coach has been tight-lipped up to now, it’s widely known that he will part ways with the Patriots at the end of the season.. 

The head coach has been linked to the Chargers since the beginning of the season, but it’s been mostly speculation, with no official reports on the match. It’s an interesting pairing because the Chargers are still in win-now mode, have an open GM spot, and Belichick loves Justin Herbert.  

Mike Tomlin 

Mike Tomlin has coached the Pittsburgh Steelers for 17 years and is the second longest-tenured head coach behind Belichick. Tomlin seems to always make the playoffs and find success. Tomlin has won a Super Bowl and seven Division Titles with the Steelers, but the organization might be looking for a fresh start after a tumultuous year. The HC has dealt with this year’s drama admirably, but it’s hard to deny that the two parties might be looking to reset for something new and spicy.  

Mike Vrabel  

Mike Vrabel gave a fiery answer to a reporterwhen he told him, “Losing sucks,” while asked about his most recent loss. Vrabel and the Titans have been frustrated, to say the least, with another losing season. The former Patriot has been the head coach for the Tennessee Titans since 2018 and advanced to the AFC Championship in 2020.

The relationship between the head coach and the organization has gone south after both parties disagreed on the handling of A.J. Brown. It’s likely to be the end of the Vrabel era in Tennessee. Vrabel is a very talented coach and would have no problem finding other head coaching opportunities.  

Ron Rivera 

Ron Rivera is a certified veteran coach in the NFL but has struggled in Washington. Rivera has coached the Washington Commanders for four seasons, and it has been reported that the two parties will part ways at the end of the season. The long-time NFL head coach led the Carolina Panthers to a Super Bowl in 2015 and still has a lot left to offer as a coordinator.  

Arthur Smith   

Arthur Smith time coaching the Atlanta Falcons has been controversial, to say the least. The Falcons are 21-29 under Smith and have not had any consistent success. He is famously known as the son of a billionaire who founded the UPS brand but is also a very well-respected mind in the industry. If he gets fired, he should get an opportunity as a coordinator.  

Nick Sirianni

Although the Philadelphia Eagles head coach advanced to the Super Bowl last year and has the best first-half record in the NFL this year, the team spiraled downward in the second half. Nick Sirianni has reportedly lost the locker room and if he fails to get a win in the first round of the playoffs, the win-now Eagles might choose to move on. Sirianni would be highly coveted in the head coaching market.  

Antonio Pierce 

The former Super Bowl-winning linebacker was promoted to interim head coach for the Las Vegas Raiders after they fired Josh McDaniels (Josh will undoubtedly be interviewed as an OC across the league) in the middle of the season. Antonio Pierce has led the Raiders to a respectable 4-4 record in a lost season and has garnered Davante Adams’ vote to be Head Coach for the team next season. Pierce has earned the support and should get the job.  

Brandon Staley 

Brandon Staley  has been fired by the Los Angeles Chargers mid-season after a miserable year, following an even worse loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the playoffs last year. The Chargers were Super Bowl favorites coming into the year, but Staley not only underperformed but lost the locker room and, more notably, the fan base. This was his third year as head coach, and although he won’t be in any other head coaching interviews, he should perform well as a defensive coordinator or secondary coach.  

Potential Hires 

Here is a list of Coordinators (or college coaches) expected to be highly sought after this off-season for HC roles:  

Jim Harbaugh (MICH HC) 

Ben Johnson (DET OC) 

Mike McDonald (BAL DC) 

Brian Flores (Minn DC) 

Eric Bieniemy (WSH OC) 

Jerod Mayo (NE DC) 

Bill O’Brien (NE OC) 

Bobby Slowik (HOU OC) 

Dave Canales (TB OC)

The Top Dogs

Jim Harbaugh and Ben Johnson are considered the best of these coaches and will likely receive the most lucrative contracts. Like Belichick, Harbaugh has been closely linked to the Chargers, and Johnson will likely have a highly contested battle to hire him. Many head coaching roles are projected to be vacant this off-season, and all these coordinators have the talent to fill any of those positions. The head coaching landscape in the NFL will have a lot of movement this off-season, setting the tone for years to come.